Tommarow i have to go to the dentist and get three teeth pulled because they should have fallen out a long time ago. they are all “baby” teeth, but they are making other teeth grow in crooked. I am going to be on “loopy gas” but i am still VERY nervous. for others who have had this done, will it hurt? will i even feel anything? any other information would be nice…

EASY 10 POINTS!

OK, this is a little bit out there for dental devices but it’s definitely a unique twist on losing weight. A new device called the Charlie Bite can be cemented onto your teeth and when you open your mouth too wide a metal flange comes down preventing you from chewing. The inventor, Charlie Comstock says that the purpose is to slow your eating down and force you to take smaller bites and therefore beginning feeling full with fewer calories devoured.

Even without the device it has long been accepted that if you slow your eating down and chew your food longer you will take in less food. Your stomach will feel full after eating less food and therefore you stop eating.

Although the Charlie Bite device is safe and likely effective, many trainers and dietitians think that the benefits would only be short term (while the device is installed) because losing weight requires more than just portion control. Things such as calorie intake, healthy eating, and most of all exercise are just as important as the portions are.

The Charlie Bite can be the first step if implemented as part of a program that teaches the other aspects of losing weight but for now it is really just a fancy dental appliance that helps you feel full while eating fewer bites. At a cost of $1,500 to $2,000 and available only in Salt Lake City, Utah, it will require a significant outlay of cash for an affect that can be achieved by simply drinking a large glass of water before and during every meal.

More information on the Charlie Bite can be found on The Lean Way website at http://www.theleanway.net/welcome.html

In the Spirit of the Live Earth weekend, I’m giving you the simplest tip you can do to help save water. It’s so easy but few of us do it.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. That’s it. Simple as that.

Of course there are hundreds of other things that you can do to help save the Earth - see the green tips.

Listerine has a new product on the store shelf called Tooth Defense™. This new rinse uses the active ingredient of Sodium Fluoride and claims to rebuild and strengthen your tooth enamel and thereby prevent cavities.

Benefits of the Tooth Defense™ rinse.

* Kills the germs that cause bad breath or halitosis
* Increase tooth enamel density and strenth to prevent cavities using Sodium Fluoride
* Great tasting Mint Shield flavor (purple color but minty taste)
* Intended for patients 12 and older :

• Older patients who require extra help fighting cavities and maintaining their natural teeth
• Patients with crowns or bridges
• Orthodontic patients where tooth care is harder

Note: This product is not intended to help prevent or reduce plaque and gingivitis. Brushing and proper dental care is still expected.

Listerine® Tooth Defense™: Active Ingredients
Sodium fluoride 0.0221% (0.01% w/v fluoride ion)

As of writing this post, there wasn’t much for consumer reviews about this product. The couple that I did find liked the taste of the wash. Sodium Fluoride has been known to rebuild enamel for a long time and some toothpastes contain it. The question will be if this wash has enough of a concentration to have any clinical impact on your own teeth’s enamel or is it just an expensive mouthwash?

Well, it was only a matter of time before the Dental industry would start to see the benefit of the new technologies for marketing on the internet. Helaine Smith, DMD, has produced a series of podcasts on the topics of oral health and cosmetic dentistry. The series is titled “Successful Smiles” and is free to download at http://www.helainesmithdmd.blogspot.com/ or from the Health category at Apple iTunes store.

Currently, the series covers topics like bad breath, FAQ’s about cosmetic dentistry and questions to ask your dentist about veneers. Upcoming broadcasts will be about dental care for the elderly, tooth whitening methods, and the relationship between sex and oral health.

Dr. Smith’s podcasts are a natural progression from her current e-newsletter and website where consumers can learn about procedures such as teeth whitening and dental implants (which I’m about to go through). It’s obvious that Dr. Smith has an interest in educating the public about oral health and the dental industry.

Over the last 10 years the dental industry has changed with more and more dentists going ‘online’ to further the practice of dentistry. Blogs, newsletters, articles, and even radio and TV ads have continued to change the dental practice to be much more than just an office down the street. Patients are using the internet for research about dental procedures before they make their appointments and are much better educated once they are in the chair.

The “Successful Smiles” podcasts each last between 3 to 6 minutes and are also available as mp3 audio files for listening on your computer or portable device. Watch for more ‘episodes’ to be added soon.

Most Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants work hard to provide quality care to patients. They try to provide patients with the knowledge of proper dental care as well as information about the procedures they are about to undergo. Patients have rights in regards to their dental care that all dental providers need to be aware of and respectful of.

Dental patients have the right to make an informed decision about their dental care. It is the responsibility of the dental office to make sure they know the facts about the procedures, the alternative options, and any risks involved in the procedures. Dental patients have the right to receive care from qualified staff members. Most dental offices will provide the licensing and credentials of staff members upon patient request.

The right to receive quality care is important to patients. Patients expect properly cleaned dental tools and equipment. Standard sterilization procedures need to be followed accurately. Patients have the right to ask questions and receive informed decisions about the care they receive.

A patient has the right to refuse treatment or discontinue treatment at any time. The dental professional needs to be respectful of this choice. However, the dental professional has the responsibility to inform the patient of the health risks involved with doing so. Those patients wanting to continue care have the right to be seen at scheduled appointments and for a detailed treatment plan to be carefully outlined, and then followed.

Emergency situations do occur. Patients have the right to be seen as soon as possible. In the mean time, the dental professional needs to do everything possible to reduce the pain and make the patient comfortable. Dental care can be expensive. Patients have the right to receive an itemized cost of treatment prior to accepting any dental services.

All patients want to be treated with dignity and respect. The patient who comes in with poor oral care habits doesn’t want the dental professional to ask them rude questions about the last time they brushed their teeth. However, it is important to express concern about the patient’s oral health habits, and provide education to help the patient develop better oral care practices.

Dental patients have the right to confidentiality. Dental professionals need to keep information about procedures and those coming in for them to themselves. No one wants everyone in town to know they had two cavities or that they got their teeth whitened. Confidentially is very important to individuals in all areas, and their dental care is no different. A patient has the right to request copies of all information in their file at any time for their own use. The same patient care confidentiality that you would expect in healthcare should be followed in the dental profession as well.

All patients have the right to express their concern over the dental care they received. They have the right to file a complaint against the dental office or staff with the State Dental Board. Each state has their own policies and procedures for investigating complaints. The standard procedure includes obtaining the complaint in writing, sending a copy of the complaint to the dental facility, interviewing witnesses to the event, and making an informed decision on how to handle the complaint.

Dental professionals need to be fully aware of patient rights. It is easy to get caught up in the procedures and duties of the dental profession. However, the satisfaction of the patient is the key to providing quality service and maintaining ongoing relationships with patients. Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and Dental Assistants can do their part by providing patients with an approachable individual that they can discuss their needs, ideas, thoughts, and concerns over their dental care with.

This is a hilarious video of my son pulling one of his baby teeth out a couple of weeks ago. The other top front tooth had to be pulled by me a couple of weeks before this one was ready to come out. We were very surprised that he did this one himself.

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Dental anxiety or fear of the dentist is a problem that many people have throughout the world. To those without this anxiety it may seem silly but it can be something that is quite difficult to overcome. The fear can keep normally rational people from seeing the dentist and maintaining the health of the teeth and gums. Even though they know that the key to having healthy teeth is prevention, they are extremely reluctant to visit the dentist. Most often their fear keeps them from the dentist except when it is absolutely necessary and sometimes even too late to repair the damage done by waiting.

When a sufferer of dental anxiety finally drags themselves to the dentist, they often find problems that would have been small have turned into something more serious. Even though they know that regular visits are the best way to keep your teeth healthy, the anxiety and fear keep them away.

Okay, so we know what may happen from not seeing the dentist because of an anxiety, but what can you do to overcome your dental anxiety?

A popular choice is sedation. Sedation can often help to get yourself into the dentist and through the experience. Taking a mild sedative orally or via IV will help calm you down. You’ll also be awake to answer questions and talk to your dentist. Many times, talking to your dentist prior to your visit and explaining your anxiety will prompt your dentist to give you a small dosage prescription for use during your next visit.

Some people who suffer from dental anxiety have had previous bad experiences. Any type of negative dental experience will normally result in emotional scarring and last for years. Anything that results in negative feelings for the patient will normally cause them to feel in a negative way toward the entire dental profession. Although all dentists aren’t bad - a negative experience will certainly make a patient feel that way.

When you look for a dentist, you should always ask your family and friends who they use, and who they recommend. When you visit a dentist, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask him any questions that come to mind, so you can be more relaxed. You may even go as far as making a written list so that you get all of your questions answered. You should always keep in mind that you are customer, and the dentist is the one who needs to make you feel relaxed. Never should you feel intimidated, as the best dentists will do everything they can to establish a sense of trust.

Establishing trust is very important with the patient/dentist relationship. You’ll be going to your dentist on a frequent basis, so you’ll want to be sure that you can trust him. When you go to your dentist for the first time, you should let him know about your dental anxiety. If he isn’t willing to talk about it with you or do things to help you relax, you should look into a new dentist.

You can always tell who the better dentists are by the type of facilities they have. Dentists who have a lot of customers or nice offices, have established themselves and proved that they are indeed the best. If a dentist has a lot of customers, it lets you know that he has them for a reason. People that are satisfied with a dentist, normally return.

If you suffer from dental anxiety, you should always let your dentist know in advance. This way, he work with you to overcome your fear. Over time, you’ll find that you can overcome your fear and establish a great relationship with your dentist. You can get over your fear of dentists, no matter how bad your fear may be. It will take you some time, although your dentist should be willing to work with you. Before you know it, you’ll be over your fear and more than willing to go to your dentist.

Do you suffer from migraine headaches? You may be amoung the 28 million Americans that do and there may be hope for everyone.

We all get headaches at some point, maybe monthly, maybe weekly, maybe even daily. Many times our headaches are from tension or are sinus or illness related. But doctors say that there is a chance your headaches are migraines especially if they occur more frequently.

There is a new device that was recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration to treat the problem of migraines.

The device is called an NTI Tension Suppression Device. It is typically worn to bed, where the hard plastic mouthpiece fits on the front four teeth and prevents movement during the night.

Most dentist offices can make the device in about an hour.

Users of the Tension Suppression Device claim that the device calms you down and often eliminates the migraines. In the FDA trials, 82 percent of migraine sufferers were able to reduce their migraines 77 percent in the first eight weeks.

If your headaches occur more than a couple of times a week, Doctors say that you should take something to prevent the migraines rather than take medicine to treat them. The Tension Suppression Device is one such prevention mechanism.

Most medical insurance companies will cover a portion of the device’s cost but you will most likely need to pay a couple of hundred dollars out of your pocket. For most migraine suffers, the couple of hundred dollars will be well worth it to begin living a health life again.

The California Dental Association says tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease and to address that, the state of California has now passed a law requiring kindergarteners in public schools to get a dental check up.

It’s something that many doctors recommend parents start doing by their child’s first birthday but not many do. Most parents wait until their kids are 5 or later.

For the sake of promoting good oral health, the state has stepped in and passed the law stating that children must get a dental check up by May 31st of their first year in school. This law only applies to public schools.

Many parents find the law to be no big deal because they are already seeing their dentist regularly, but it’s intention is get the rest in to have their kids seen.

The California Dental Association says tooth decay is more common than asthma and obesity, affecting almost two thirds of students by the time they reach third grade. Tooth decay in California is on the rise to boot.

Often times when children come to see the nurse with a headache it is often caused by or really is a toothache. When kids feel good they attend school regualarly and are able to progress academically. However, when they are home with a toothache generated illness, they are missing valuable time that is hard to make up if it is a chronic problem.

Many feel the new law is a great preventative measure that will hopefully decrease tooth decay in California over time.

The state of California offers dental care for families that cannot afford it.